


The colour of darkness

by unknowabledreamer (DrowningInStarlight)



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: 300 Fox Way, Angst, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Ronan Lynch & Blue Sargent Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 13:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14137374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrowningInStarlight/pseuds/unknowabledreamer
Summary: The windows of 300 Fox Way were all lit up, and the sound of someone singing drifted out from upstairs.Blue turned to Ronan to say goodbye, then abruptly changed her mind. He looked even more shadowy than usual, contrasted to the warm homeliness before them, but Blue wasn't fooled. She knew now this was Ronanhurting, and she refused to leave him to wander the streets of Henrietta, alone with the darkness.





	The colour of darkness

**Author's Note:**

> _At night, Henrietta felt like magic, and at night, magic felt like it might be a terrible thing._ -The Raven Boys

Sometimes, Ronan Lynch hated the night. 

He couldn't sleep, couldn't _dream_ , not tonight. Something was calling him, and he didn't know how to answer but that didn't lessen the call. He paced up and down his room, but he still felt like he couldn't breathe.

In the end, he gave in, and left. The night air was cold, but he still felt feverish. The thrum of the BMW's engine wasn't nearly as comforting as it usually was. This was a not a night for comfort; this was a night for untamed, wild things. Like him. 

He felt untethered, strangely aimless. Desperation had cooled into despair, or worse. A hollow laugh, a broken smile. A nightmare, etched into his memories, a million of them played over and over. He didn't know where he was going, on the dark streets of Henrietta at night. He didn't care. 

*** 

He found himself pulling into the parking lot of Nino's. He didn't know why, exactly. He wanted-- and that was the crux of it. He just _wanted._ He wanted to watch Gansey's face light up when he found another clue in the trail to Glendower, he wanted to see Adam's smile, lazy and gentle, as he lay on his back in the sunny glade of Cabeswater.

But right now, all of that felt very far away, a dream, impossible. So he stopped, and watched the neon lights reflect in his wing mirrors, and after a while, he put his head in his hands. 

*** 

When Blue finished her evening shift, the parking lot outside was nearly empty. The evening diners had long since departed, but the late crowd hadn't yet begun to arrive. Still, as she went to unchain her bike from the racks, she nearly didn't see Ronan's BMW, still and silent in the furthest corner of the lot. 

It was an incongruous sight. Blue was used to Ronan being permanently loud and obnoxious; a steady constant. In a strange kind of way, a reassurance. This silence, this stillness, felt alien. 

Without even pausing to think, she went over, dragging her bike behind her. She peered inside, and saw Ronan sitting in the driver's seat. The darkness made his face look hollow and shadowy, and once Blue would have been wary, but not any more. Ronan was one of her Raven Boys now, whether he liked it or not, but Blue didn't think he minded. It's always nice to belong somewhere. 

She tapped on the window. "Ronan? Ronan!" 

He glanced round, and his eyes widened when he saw her. He didn't hesitate, though, and nodded his head towards the passenger seat. Blue shoved her bike in the back and got in, ignoring the looks she knew she was getting from her fellow waitresses. They'd also got off when the shift changed, and were waiting around for lifts. If they wanted to gossip about her getting rides from scary looking guys, then that was their business. 

"300 Fox Way?" Ronan asked. 

"Yeah, please. Thanks, man." 

He shrugged noncommittally. There was silence, except for the rumble of tarmac underneath them. The repetitive glimpses of orange from the streetlights made everything feel unreal, dreamlike. 

She waited a few minutes, but when it was clear Ronan wasn't going to present an explanation about why he was sitting in Nino's car park in the dark at half eleven, she said "Ronan, what's going on? Like, I appreciate the lift and all, but..."

"Don't flatter yourself, Sargent," he replied. "I didn't know you were gonna be there tonight."

"You still appear to be driving me home, though."

"Unless I'm secretly kidnapping you. You know what they say about getting into cars with people." 

"Nah. Go for the prettiest. If I had to pick one of us to kidnap, it'd have to be--"

"Adam." 

"Adam. Definitely." She laughed. Ronan didn't, but his face softened a bit. 

"You didn't tell me what you're doing here," she reminded him. "Gansey kick you out?" 

When he didn't answer, she said " _No_ , really? Oh my god. What did you do? Set Chainsaw on his polo shirts?"

He snorted at that. "He didn't kick me out. I just..." His voice cracked, suddenly sounding full of fractures and emotions, badly hidden, barely contained.

Blue didn't press any more. 

***

When they pulled up outside 300 Fox Way, Blue got out. Ronan got out too, and helped her grab her bike.

The windows of the house were all lit up, and the sound of someone singing drifted out from upstairs. Blue turned to Ronan to say goodbye, then abruptly changed her mind. He looked even more shadowy than usual, contrasted to the warm homeliness before them, but Blue wasn't fooled. She knew now this was Ronan _hurting_ , and she refused to leave him to wander the streets of Henrietta, alone with the darkness.

"Come in," she said. "You can try some of Mum's new tea, or, if you're lucky, fight with Calla."

"Your family is so weird," he grumbled, but didn't protest, didn't even consider protesting.

When they stepped over the threshold, they were instantly enveloped in the bustle that was 300 Fox Way's trademark. Assorted young cousins tumbled across the hall, in pyjamas but not looking remotely tired. They stopped and stared with round eyes at Ronan, who looked amused by their attention. 

"Blue?" Calla's voice preceded her down the hall. "Blue, is that you? Thank God, these little terrors won't go to bed and--" She came round the corner and saw them both, still standing on the doormat. 

"Oh," she said. "Hello, snake." 

Ronan nodded at her. "Calla."

"He gave me a ride home," Blue explained. She shot a pleading look at Calla, willing her to understand. _This is not a night to be alone._ "Can we go into the kitchen, please?" 

Calla moved out of the way slowly. As they passed, she said suddenly "How's that bird of yours?" 

Ronan looked a little surprised. "She's fine," he said. "I left her at home, it's cold out." 

Calla nodded. "Good. She's a special one." 

"She is," Ronan agreed. "She definitely is. I could bring her round, next time. She thrives off attention, little bastard." 

"Yeah," Calla said appraisingly. "Ravens, they're magic birds." 

"Especially Chainsaw."

Blue looked back at them, surprised, but thankful. "Ronan and Calla having a civil conversation? Can this be?" 

Ronan bumped his shoulder against Blue's shoulder companionably. "Shut it, Sargent." 

 

*** 

 

The kitchen was calmer than than the hallway had been. The sounds of Calla shepherding the cousins upstairs were fainter, drowned out by sound of the kettle beginning to boil. 

Ronan was fiddling with the packets of tea that had been left out on the worktop, reading their labels. 

"'For bad weather?' What the hell does that mean?" He said. 

"Don't ask," she replied. "I think Mum went kind of overboard with the ominous labels." 

"Damn right. Is there a normal one somewhere here? That won't make us grow horns or anything?" 

"Hang on. I think it's under... Yeah, here. Plain tea. Completely magic free." 

"Sweet." 

"I'm going to go change," she said. "Back in a sec, watch the tea." 

He nodded, not really listening, still examining the tea selection. He didn't look so burnt out any more, and Blue was glad. 

It had been a long time since she'd been truly scared of Ronan, as intimidating as he could seem. But when she'd seen him hunched up alone in the car park, she'd been afraid _for_ him, that he would tear himself apart from the inside out. When she'd first met him, she never would have imagined she would feel so protective over _Ronan Lynch,_ and she knew she'd have laughed at the idea that he'd be completely at home in her kitchen, making tea.

But then, she never would have considered she'd fall for the Raven Boys at all. Yet here she was. 

***

Blue's bedroom was a bubble of peace. She was sitting on one end of her bed, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Ronan was stretched out at the other, staring up at the glow in the dark stars that were stuck to the ceiling. 

He wondered at the fact that, out of all of them, it was _him_ lying warm and comfortable on Blue's bed, not Adam who'd gone out with her, not Gansey who was fucking _obviously_ in love with her. 

He could see why everyone loved Blue, though. She was brave and thoughtful and kind, and he didn't really know what he would have done if she hadn't taken him home with her. Gone over to Adam's, maybe, and bugged him instead... His heart suddenly ached. 

The feeling must have shown on his face, because Blue said "He's started watching you, you know. He doesn't think anyone notices."

"Who does, Sargent?" he replied shortly. 

Blue sighed. "You don't have to acknowledge it if you don't want to," she said. "I'm not Gansey, you don't have to tell me anything, I won't feel let down. But I've never seen you look as lost as you did earlier. Adam Parrish. Obviously." 

"What makes you think I want anything to do with him?" Ronan asked her. 

"Come on, Lynch. Everyone sees the way you two fight."

"I fight with everyone." 

"Not the way you do with Adam. You argue like you've got something to lose and he argues like he's got something to prove. You don't do that with anyone else." 

"I just... I don't know. _Fuck,_ I don't know any more." 

"I get it," Blue said heavily, and he wondered suddenly exactly what lay between her and Gansey. 

"I don't want to talk about it," he said, but without malice. It was impossible to feel malice here, surrounded by chunky handknitted blankets and glowing stars, and for once the darkness felt like a friend. He didn't want to ruin that. God, he didn't. 

"Okay," Blue said. "Not my call. But he's looking out for you. We all are." 

"Thanks, Sargent." 

He ended up staying the night. He described the things he'd dreamt, flowers, snowflakes, blood. She described her family, the readings, the fights, the way she'd go out and sit in the beech tree to escape. 

In the morning he dropped her at school before driving on to Aglionby, and saw her off with a laugh and a high five, like a brother.

**Author's Note:**

> I really like Calla, and want her to be in every fic even when she doesn't really need to be! I was just thinking about Blue & Ronan, but accidentally ended up with this, so here, it's yours. It was really fun to write. 
> 
> Comments/kudos are always welcome! What was your favourite line? Let me know :D


End file.
